Walking Away
by calleighstorres
Summary: Eric isn't sure what to think when a moment leads to him kissing his ex-lover. Set in Season 8. Implied Hiphuggers. EricNatalia angst.


**Inspired by that scene in 'Meltdown' where Natalia and Eric have a moment, but Eric leaves after: **

**Eric chuckles "Nobody's gonna get hurt"**

**Natalia then says "I was talking about you"**

**Their faces had me in TEARS, Natalia still really did care about him so much, despite their relationship going nowhere.. and I decided to finally write a fic in basis of that scene from the show in season 8. :'( DelVista/NED/EDeN is my no'1 still. So yeah. I miss them and the show. I'm sad.**

* * *

_'WALKING AWAY'_

Natalia was flicking through the file in her hand while in the DNA lab. She'd been working a double on an unsolved that the night shift had recently opened back up and was just going through the case report. She had finished processing the DNA evidence and had been waiting for one of the CSIs on the current case lead to share the results with.

That day, things hadn't gone the way she had wanted them to.. or so, how she thought they would go. Maybe it could be different if _it _had not happened. But she couldn't. She was still in love with the Cuban and seeing him so couple like with Calleigh really wasn't nice. Yet she wouldn't say anything because she cared about Eric too much to ruin his happiness in return for her own. He meant too much to her for anything to compromise their friendship. He wasn't even working for CSI anymore.

_The next day..._

The latina had gone home, gotten a few hours rest, and was back in the lab all freshened up and ready to go. Natalia had decided to straighten her hair again as she'd dyed it a similar color to the honey color she had when she first joined the lab. She was clad in her lab coat, worn over her floral blouse and slacks.

Her and Jesse were working one case, while Calleigh and Walter were working another. Ryan was in court that day so he wasn't able to help with any of the cases but they were doing okay. Natalia had just set up all the crime scene photos in the layout and was observing them all.

It was then, that she saw a wild Eric Delko down the hallway. He was no longer working for CSI and was now a part of the State Attorney's office. She only knew that because her hearing aid had picked up the signals from his wire the other day. They were keeping this between them, though, it didn't mean she was too pleased about it. However, she promised she wouldn't say anything to anyone about it until he had all the info he needed to find the culprit for the stealing of the diamonds.

The brunette hadn't even taken a second look as she ignored it and got back to work. There was nothing to say. Before he was shot, they were close. Oh so close. But after.. he'd suddenly fallen in love with Calleigh. It was confusing. Very confusing. Like something had completely turned his attitudes and treated Natalia like a colleague more and more.

He really was the one that got away.

"Hey, have you seen Calleigh?"

She scoffed. Of course somebody would be looking for her.

"Yeah, she's currently out in the field with Walter working on a ca-"

When Natalia realised who she was talking to, she almost froze. "..case. Their case. She should be back soon." Eric silently chuckled. "Nice to see you too, Nat."

"What are you doing here?" "Aside from visiting? You know why." The two glanced at one another. Natalia turned back to her crime scene photos and Eric shut the door behind him. "Your wire." She sputtered, suddenly holding her ear as it started going off again. "Crap." He muttered, turning it off as quickly as he could. Eric forgot about her hearing aid and how sensitive it was to the feds' wiring.

Natalia looked at the tire tread pictures. "So.. State Attorney's office.. you working for Rebecca Nevins?" Eric put his hands in his pockets, looking over her shoulder. "Well, it is her case. I'm just the detective." He said. The latina nodded.

"Well, I'm just saying.. you should be careful. It's not exactly a job that will put you in everybody's good book. I know you're a good guy and you're doing it to protect us.. but not everybody will."

"Natalia, if anything, I'm the best person for this. I can protect the lab this way."

"What about yourself?"

Eric crooked his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Boa Vista took a deep breath and put down the photo, swiveling around to face Eric. "You can't protect both. You'll end up losing something too." She said quietly, staring into his brown eyes. Delko didn't want to admit she was right. But she frankly was too right. He'd lost way too many things in his life to disagree. "Maybe it's worth losing one thing to protect another."

"If you can handle the loss." She retorted softly.

Eric looked back into her eyes. "That's why they're called sacrifices."

"I just don't want you to end up losing your own good will."

The stare lasted longer than it should have. Sparks flying all around them and a connection that was there, even without either realising it. They immediately thought back to the days of their old relationship. Every time they had a staring moment like this one.

Natalia hated that he made her feel the way he did when they got close. Like she could fly. And their love story was like a song she would put on replay a thousand times over.

**_"I don't wanna forget it, you were gonna tell me something.. what?!"_**

**_"There are just complications, okay!"_**

He didn't know why she gave him chills. Or why he was so drawn. Eric tried to convince his heart that it wasn't Natalia he felt for.. it was Calleigh. But his heart kept arguing with his mind. It was a classic head vs heart. And his heart was winning. The silence was all the words that needed to be said.

_**"You're a good guy, Eric."**_

What if it had happened a way that it hadn't?

Eric lifted his hand and moved her hair out of her face. "You don't need to worry about me, 'Talia."

"And yet, I do.."

With a slow, sad love song playing in the background on Natalia's iPod, they found themselves leaning in. Eric at that point barely knew what he was doing but his conscience had been completely ignored and his heart led all his actions. Natalia knew she was about to kiss him, although, her body wasn't disagreeing with the possibility. It was.. a conflicting moment. A moment that had happened.

Their lips crashed and the two shared a tentative, yet passionately given, kiss which lasted a good 12 seconds before they pulled away for air. Both breathing at a quickened pace with their eyes closed, their faces remained close.

It shouldn't have happened.

One simple kiss.

That was all it took, to change someone's perspective on their life.

Delko and Boa Vista took a step back from one another. Eric shook his head. "That shouldn't have happened." "Eric-" Before she could say anything, he backed up and then spun around at the door, leaving her there in the lab she was in as he walked away. He was supposed to be head over heels for Calleigh.. but he just kissed his ex lover.

_'It was just a moment, it doesn't mean anything.' His conscience tried to tell him._

But he couldn't fully convince himself it was, even if it was because they got caught up in the moment.

Even though he and Calleigh weren't exclusively together as boyfriend and girlfriend, it was still shit nonetheless.

And as for Natalia.. she was left standing there with him on her lips. She licked her lips and sighed to herself. All she had to do was refrain from leaning in. And she did anyway. The brunette hadn't meant to kiss him, or so she told herself. _It's not like it would mean anything to him._

So much for that friendship which was now down the drain.

All because their hearts decided to collide at the wrong moment. A moment that would change them even more since she was the only one who knew his secret about his investigation.

He didn't even want to talk, which proved one thing; that he was walking away from it all.


End file.
